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Essential Backbone.js

Essential Backbone.js
This book is 80% completeLast updated on 2026-08-17
Ian Chursky
Learn dynamic, interactive client-side web application in JavaScript using Backbone.js: the compact developer-friendly framework that gives you structure to your application. Some of the topics include (but are not limited to) routers, controllers, models, collections, views, templating engines, persisting data to a server via an API, and module loading. Working code samples for each chapter and a repository containing a fully functioning “recipe book” application also included!

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About

About

About the Book

Beginning at around 2009 - 2010 the "single page application" (SPA) built using open technologies (HTML5 and JavaScript) began to emerge for creating dynamic "app-like" experiences within web pages. However you use the web, chances are you have used an application built with technology that implements this interactive functionality. Backbone.js, the small, compact, dynamic JavaScript client-side application framework that helps you keep your JavaScriot organized and structured is part of the technologies that make these sorts of slick applications possible.

This book will show you all the essentials involved in creating an application in Backbone.js covering Backbone routers, models, collections, and views as well as communicating with the server via API calls and module loading with RequireJS. This book is great for the developer who maybe has some experience with writing a bit of JavaScript or jQuery code but has not yet ventured into the waters of SPA MVW (model-view-whatever) frameworks. This book is also great for the intermediate or seasoned JavaScript application developer who has maybe worked with other frameworks but has been tasked with working on a Backbone application and need a quick reference of working code and a high-level overview of the common components therein. This book will give you the essentials to get up and going (hopefully as fast as possible).

Wherever you are coming from, this book will give you everything you need to get on your way to creating rich, interactive apps with Backbone!

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Author

About the Author

Ian Chursky

Should I write in the 3rd person here? Ian Chursky (that's me) is a Seattle-area developer who has been working in the development world since interning as a web developer during the dotcom bubble days of early 2000 before attending college at Seattle University, graduating with a degree in Biology and minoring in Computer Science. After college he has worked at both giant, evil, multinational corporations and small creative dev shops and everything in-between. Professionally, he spends a lot of time in JavaScript (React, TypeScript, Vue.js, Knockout.js, Node.js Express.js) and in the Microsoft stack of technologies (ASP.NET/C#, .NET WebAPI, Azure, etc.) but has also been called upon to venture into the worlds PHP, Python, and Java. He lives in the general greater Seattle area with his wife and 2 daughters.

Contents

Table of Contents

Preface

History

What is Backbone.js?

Benefits of Using Backbone.js

Who This Book Is For

Errata

Feedback

Chapter 1: Routers

New Routes

Parameters & Splats

Better Code Organization

Navigate

Summary

Chapter 2: Views

Setup

Events

Templates

Summary

Chapter 3: Models

Model Default Values

Initialize

Get & Set

Clone

Summary

Chapter 4: Collections

Add, Remove, & Reset

Get & Set

Summary

Chapter 5: Using Templates in Backbone.js

Underscrore Templates

Handlebars

Summary

Chapter 6: APIs and Backbone.js

What is an API?

API Integration with Backbone.js

Creating Our Own API With Slim PHP Framework

Client Side: Backbone.js

Summary

Chapter 7: Module Loading Backbone.js with RequireJS

Why Use RequireJS?

Using RequireJS

Loading Our Own JavaScript With RequireJS

Shims

Summary

Chapter 8: Additional Concepts: Data Binding

Chapter 9: Additional Concepts: Specialized Notification Views

Options

Chapter 10: Extending Backbone.js

Extending Classes

Creating New Classes

Conclusion

Appendix A: Code Samples & Repos

Also by the Author

Also by the Author

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